Cooling bed



G. L. FISK COOLING BED Sept. 7, 1943.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 29, 1941,

M. F i NM. am

Sept. 7, 1943. G. 1.1 FISK 2,328,635

COOLING BED Filed Sept. 29 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR GusfaFL. Fisk known previously.

Patented Sept. 7, 1943 COOLING BED Gustafv L. Fisk, New Fairfield Conn., assignor to Mesta- Machine Company,- West Homestead, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 29, 1941, Serial No. 412,802 (CI. 80-42) 5 Claims.

This invention relatesto cooling beds for a variety of products and, in particular, to cooling beds having provisions for the annealing of fiat bars in a continuous pack.

Cooling beds having provisions for such pack annealing have been used for many years. Certain forms of such beds are shown in my Patent 1,761,470, Fisk et al. Patent 1,954,123 and Peterson Patent 1,834,728. The known cooling beds, however, have been required to anneal rolled bars of relatively narrow widths only, say up to if. More recently, it has appeared desirable to sub ject much wider bars, e. g. .1 1 to 8 wide, to pack annealing, but this cannot be accomplished successfully by the structures and mechanisms In addition, when pack annealing bars on beds of known types, it is found that the bars do not rea ily paratev from each other at the discharge end of the pack. Instead the bars have a tendency to shingle so that considerable time and labor are required to separate them preparatory to subsequent handling. I have invented a novel cooling bed which fully bodiment, I provide a plurality of tiltable arms with latch members adapted to engage the upper edge of the rearmost bar of a pack for supporting the bars on edge as they travel across the pack annealing section of a cooling bed. The latch members, pivoted on the tiltable arms, are displaced each time a bar is added to the pack by suitable packing arms. The latch members are then restored by gravity to holding position as the packing arms return to their starting 130- sition. f

The tiltable arms maybe shiftedcollectively to adjust the latch members to the proper elevation for a particular width ofybars to be pack annealed and may also be individually adjusted reference is made to the accompanying drawings,v

which will be described and explained in detail hereinafter. In the drawings,

ing being largely diagrammatic;

Figure 2 is anend elevation of one of the tilting arms and its latch member;

. A Figure l is a typical transverse section through a cooling bed with parts in elevation, the show;

edge, indicated generally at" 2!.

Figures 3 and 4are diagrams illustratingthe progressive step in starting and building a pack of flat bars of small width for progressive cooling in contact with each other, a carried out by the apparatus of Figures 1 and 2; and

Figures 5 and 6 are similar diagrams illustrating the operation of theapparatus in forming a pack of bar of the maximum width.-

Referring now in detail to th drawings and, for the present, to Figures land 2, hot rolled bars 10 are received along one side of a cooling bed indicated generally at l I on a run-in conveyer comprising a plurality of motor-driven rollers l2. Arms 13 are movable longitudinally of the roller l2 to serve as a kick-off by displacing the bars l0 laterally from the rollers.

final cooling section 18. The variou sections of the bed are composed of skids formed from suitablemetal bars supported in any convenient manner, for example, as disclosed in the prior patents above mentioned. The final'cooling section 18 may conveniently take the'fo'rm illustrated at I9 in Patent 1,954,123. The bars forming the packing section 15 with discharge section I! and the arcuate skid section [5 are pivoted on a longitudinal shaft l9 whereby the packing section may be tilted to discharge bars delivered thereto immediately, in case pack annealing is not desired.

The shaft I9 isalso provided with packing arms 20. The edges ofthese arms have angularly disposed portions Mid and 26b adapted to engage and deliver bars to the packing section 16 at different inclinations, to suit the width of bar handled and subjectto pack annealing. These arms serve to move bars successively from a position at the foot ofthe sloping skid section 14 upwardly over the arcuate skid section 15 to the entering side of a pack of bars disposed on delivered to the sloping skid section It, as previously indicated, by the laterally movable arms 13 which act asa kick-01f.

The novel pack supporting means which Ihave invented particularly for the purpose of maintaining a pack of extra wide bars as well as packs of bars of ordinary'widths is indicated generally at 22. It comprises a plurality of arms 23 spaced along the length of the cooling'bed and pivoted on pins 24 in the main frame members of the bed supporting the conveyer rollers I2 Each arm 23 has a crank 25 thereon. The

arms 23 are rotatable on the pin's24. To effect The bars are;

the sleeve-=33 'on the bar 32 and is threaded to receive nuts 35. A compression spring 36 is disposed on the rod 34 between the clevis end there-" of and the sleeve 33. By suitable adjustment of the nuts 35, the spring 36 may be placed under the desired initial compressionLwWhen 'so ad justed, the link 3| serves to transmit positively nealing section [6 and immediately falls downwardly over the sloping skid portion I! with a clean separation from the remaining bars of the pack.

When it is desired to pack-anneal bars of the maximum width, e. g., 8", the shaft 29 is rotated so as to shift the arms 23 from the solid line positionto the chain line position shown in Figure 1. The apparatus is then in aposition to handle the widest bars which are delivered to the packing section I6 in the manner already described in handling relatively narrow bars. The wide bars, however, being engaged at a different 'Ipoint'along the. face 2% of the arms 20, are

any force applied thereto less than that nece's sary to compress the spring further.

Any convenient drive may be provided for the shaft 29, e. g., a suitable motor and gear re-'" ducer whereby all the arms 23 along the full length of the cooling bed maybe simultaneously operatedto-position. the latch membersBl on the -freeends ofllthe arms 23 at' the proper level, re.-

g'ardl'ess of. the width. of thebars to be pack annealed... By means of: nuts 35-, the bars 23 may also be individually adjusted to bring the projecting ends ofthe latch members 31 into alignment. i

A pack engaging latch member 3'! is pivoted to the end of each of the arms 23. The latch membersare so positioned relative totheir pivot-pinsthat the projecting left hand ends of the members over-balance theright hand ends, whereby the latter normally engage stop pins 38. The .latchmembers 31 serveto support the pack. 2!. asillustrated' in Figure l, regardless of whether bars of minimum' onup to maximum AViflth are being handled. 4

The operation of the-structure shown in'Figures 1' andv 2, in the: handling ofrelatively narrow .,bars ,will .be explained-by reference to Figures 3 andA. When thefirst'bar- ID, on being, kicked oif the conveyer rolls, has slid to the bottom of thesloping skid portion I4,-the. shaft i9 is operated'to rotate the packing arms'2il. The portions 2lla,- and b thereof engage the bar only ,at itslower and upper edges, respectively, and .move it upwardly around the arcuate skid section. 7 During thismovement, the upper edge of the. bar l ll; while firmly supported by portion 20b tion. determined by the pins 38. ,On lowering of the packing arms, therefore, the-bar Ill, delivered to position shown in full lines in Figure 3, is engaged at. its upper edge by the ends of the latch .members 3'! and is thereby supported instable equilibrium; When the next bar I6 is similarly delivered; the initial, bar lfl is moved forward vthereby and both bars are then. supported by the latch members 31; Upon further delivery of bars ID to form apack, they willbe held together' by friction between theindividual bars,

except for the-bar last delivered which will separate from the pack tobe supported by latch In this members, as indicated in Figure 4. manner. a complete pack is progressively built up,

successive bars- I0 first displacing the latch members and then engaging the ends thereof as the packing arms return after delivering the bars.

When the pack hasvv been fully'built up, the

leading bar comes to the end of the pack ancarried up to a position nearer to the vertical, as

shown in Figure 5, than the final position of the narrow bars, as shown in Figure 3. As in the case of the narrow bars, each wide bar delivered bythe' packing arm displaces the latch members 3?, as shown in Figure 5, but, on retraction of the packing arms, comes to rest against the ends thereof. By reason oftheir greater width, the bars Ill are deposited on the packing section It at a lesser angle to the vertical than the bars in order to obtain desiredstability of pa'ckand also'to reduce to a minimum the lateral pressure against the ends of the latch members 3i. The complete pack of wide bars is built ,up in the manner already explained in handling relatively narrow bars, and as illustrated-in Figure 6, and the discharge of the leading bar takes place automatically on completion of the pack, as previously described.

Several of the advantages of my invention have been-mentioned above in the course of the del tailed description- As already stated, the invention provides an improved cooling. bed'having simple and relatively inexpensive provisions for beds since the pack supporting members, of the latter would have to be made large and cumbersome to accommodate bars of awidth as great as 8" and would unduly increase the width and the costof the cooling bed asa whole. In addition, the leading bar of the pack separates itself quickl 'and cleanly from the remainder of the pack as a succeeding bar is delivered to the entry side thereof. a

The width of the pack annealing section of the bed may bechosen as the theoretical minimum required in view of the maximum width of the bars to be annealed, the length of the cooling bed and the rolling speed of the mill delivering bars to the bed. This is not the case with existing beds-above referred to which are partially ineffective due. to shingling on the pack annealing section. Regardless of the width of the pack annealing section, the invention provides means for laterally supporting rolled bars of various widths on edge as they progress, through the packs from the entering side to'the discharge side thereof. I

-As shown in Figure :5. the travel of the upper :edges of thebars subject to annealing beyond the extremities of the packing arms 20 have a greater linear velocity than the inner portions, the time I allowed for the members 31 to drop after displacement is practicallythe sameregardless of the width of the bars being annealed. The latch arms 26.

member are relatively thin, as shown in Figure 2, to reduce their weight and the friction exerted thereby on the upper edges of the bars as the latter are delivered progressively by the packing arms. Furthermore, due to the shape of portions 29a and Zllb, the bars in transit to the packing section I6 are firmly supported at their upper edges while these edges force the displacement of the latch members 31. Obviously, the friction between the upper edges of the bars and the latch members 37 is much lessthan that between the lower edges of the bars and the surfaces defining the arcuate skid section 15. 'Ihis assures that the bar being delivered is maintained in stable equilibrium until finally deposited on'the pack annealing sectionand resting against the latch members.

The travel of the upper edges of the bars subject to annealing beyondth ends of the pack supporting latch members 31 causes the last bar delivered to the packing section it to lean against 7 the ends of the latch members 3! at a greater angle to the vertical than that of the position to which the bar was delivered by the packing See Figures 4 and 6. This is of advantage in that each succeeding bar upon delivery to the packing section It first engages the previous bar at its upper edge to set it in motion before the lower edge is displaced. This mode of operation increases the stability of the pack during the critical early stage of its formation.

The construction of the links 3| is such as to permit individual adjustment of the arms 23, by turning nuts 35, to align all the pack engaging latch members 31 throughout the length of the bed to insure simultaneous engagement thereof by the bars delivered to the pack annealing section.

Although I have illustrated and described but a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be recognized that changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cooling bed, a run-in conveyor, a bed section beside the conveyor for the pack anneal- 2. In a cooling bed, a run-in conveyor, a bed section beside the conveyor for the pack annealing of thin flat bars which do not stand on edge without lateral support, means for providing lateral support for a pack on said section comprising arms pivotally mounted back of the conveyor and overhanging the bed and a latch member'pivoted to the free end of each arm adapted to be displaced by a bar being delivered on edge to said section and adapted thereafter to return to its original position in which it is engaged by the upper edge of said bar after delivery thereof, means for successively delivering bars to said section on edge and in a position permitting such return of the latch member, and means for simultaneously adjusting all said arms toward or from said section to adjust said latch member to different levels for supporting packs of bars of various widths.

3. The apparatus defined by claim 1 characterized by said latch members being operative to restore themselves to bar-holding position within substantially the same time interval for all adjusted positions of said arms.

4. In a cooling bed, a run-in conveyor, a bed section beside the conveyor for the pack annealing of thin flat bars which do not stand on edge without lateral support, means for providing lateral support for a pack on said section comprising of thin fiat bars which do not stand on edge without lateral support, meansfor providing lateral support for a pack on said section comprising arms pivotally mounted back of the conveyor and overhanging the bed, means for swingingsaid arms to accommodate bars of various widths,

and a latch member pivoted to the free end of each arm adapted to be displaced by a bar being delivered on edge to said. section and adapted thereafter to return to its original position in which it is engaged by the upper edge of said bar after delivery thereof.

ing arms overhanging the bed, a latch member pivoted to the free end of each arm adapted to be displaced by a bar being delivered on edge to said section and adapted thereafter to return to its original position in which it is engaged by the upper edge of said bar after delivery thereof, and means back of said conveyor supporting said arms for movement in a vertical plane to adjust the level of said latch members.

5. In a cooling bed, a run-in conveyor, a packannealing section beside the conveyor, and means to support a pack of bars on said section, said means including arms overhanging the bed, a latch member pivoted to the free end of each arm and adapted to be displaced by a bar being delivered on edge to said section said member being overbalanced in such direction a to return by gravity to its original position in which it is engaged by the upper edge of the delivered bar, a downwardly inclined skid section adjoining said pack-annealing section, and means for delivering bars successively to said pack-annealing section in rearwardly leaning position relative to the direction of travel of the bars thereacross whereby the leading bar of the pack is left free to slide down the inclined section when it reaches the discharge side of the pack-annealing section.

GUSTAF L. FISK. 

